When a room that has electrical fixtures such as outlets and switches is being painted with a new coat, it is unsightly if the paint is applied, inadvertently or otherwise, to the cover plates and other exposed surfaces of electrical outlets or switches. Thus the common practice is for the painter to detach the cover plates, and to use masking tape or the like to temporarily cover the other exposed surfaces. Alternatively, masking tape can be used to cover all outer surfaces on the switch or outlet. However, it is time consuming to remove the plates with a screwdriver and then replace them after painting, and of course masking tape must be positioned and later removed. It is a fairly common occurrence for the paint to flow past the edges of the tape, so that some paint removal and cleanup still is required. Quite often not all of the paint is in fact removed and presents an unsightly appearance requiring further cleanup.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved paint shield for an electrical outlet or switch assembly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shield of the type described that can be quickly installed to provide total coverage of the plate and other exposed parts of an electrical switch or an outlet.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a shield of the type described which is inexpensive to make and reliable in use and reuse, being readily attached to and later detached from an electrical outlet or switch before and after a wall painting operation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved paint shield of the type described that completely covers the exposed surface of an electrical outlet or switch assembly during painting so that it is unnecessary to remove plates or to masking off any surfaces during painting.